Tooth cleaning appliance



May 15, 1934. AK| 1,958,505

TOOTH CLEANING APPLIANCE Filed May 16, 1933 Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 16, 1933, Serial No. 671,407 In Great Britain May 24, 1932 1 Claim.

This invention relates to teeth cleaning appliances of the kind which comprise a member provided at one end with a forked or U-shaped portion, to the outer ends of the limbs of which a strip of dental floss or similar material, such for example as a thin dental emery ribbon known as a finishing strip, is adapted to be detachably secured.

It will be understood that the member carrying the forked or U-shaped portion may comprise a handle, and, if desired, the handle may be provided with a brush head similar to that of the usual tooth brush.

The main object of the invention is to provide more simple and more secure means for securing the floss or similar material upon the forked or U-shaped portion, and to this end in a tooth cleaning device according to the present invention, inclined notches are provided adjacent the outer ends of the limbs for the purpose of securing the floss or similar material in position.

In order that it may be clearly understood and more readily carried into eifect, the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows the holder or carrying portion for the dental floss of a tooth cleaning device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a View corresponding with Figure 1 in which the carrier or handle portion is provided with a brush head, the dental floss being shown in position upon the forked or U-shaped portion, while Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the limbs of the forked or U-shaped portion illustrating the method of securing the dental floss.

In carrying the invention into effect as described with reference to the accompanying drawing, the member 4 is provided with a forked or U-shaped end comprising two limbs 5 and 6, between which the dental floss or equivalent cleaning material is adapted to be stretched, as shown in Figure 2, wherein the member 4 is provided at the end remote from the forked or U-shaped portion with a brush '7, similar to the ordinary tooth brush.

The means for securing the floss or equivalent cleaning material in position upon the limbs 5 and 6 of the forked or U-shaped end in such a manner that it may be readily removed and replaced by a new length of material when desired, comprise the tapering inclined notches 8 and 9, the floss or equivalent material being secured therein by making a few turns around each limb in such a manner that the floss or equivalent is engaged in the narrow end of the notches, as illustrated more clearly at 10 in Figure 3. Additional notches, such for example as that indicated by the reference numeral 11, may be provided upon each limb in order that they may be used 90 in the event of the end of a limb being broken off by pulling the floss too tightly in securing the same in position in the upper notch 8.

The forked end or U-shaped portion is of such dimension that it may be inserted into the hu- 05 man mouth with one limb external of the teeth and the remaining limb internally thereof, so that the floss can then be forced between the teeth, and by imparting to the device a backward and forward motion, any foreign matter between the teeth or adhering to the gums can readily be removed.

In order to facilitate operation of the device, the limbs 5 and 6 are preferably inclined to the plane of the handle portion 4, so that in normal 76 use the latter member will extend outwardly from the body of the user.

In Figure 2 of the drawing there is illustrated an aperture 12 which is provided at its ends with inclined notches 13 and 14, similar to the notches 80 8 and 9. Thus, the aperture may serve the purpose of providing means whereby the device may be hung upon a hook or equivalent member, while at the same time the notches 13 and 14 may be used to secure any end of the floss or equivalent s5 material which may be left hanging.

What I claim is:

A tooth cleaning device comprising a handle having a fork at one end and provided near the outer end of each arm of the fork with a floss receiving notch cut from the outer side face of the arm at an incline towards the outer end of the arm and having its walls converging at an acute angle and intersecting at the inner end of the notch whereby a length of floss extending between the arms and having portions wrapped about the forks at the notches will be firmly gripped in inner ends of the notches, the handle being provided with an opening at the base of the fork to receive a suspending device, said opening extending transversely of the handle and having arcuate front and rear walls converging and intersecting at ends of the opening to define tapered end portions for the opening in which ends of floss passed through the opening are adapted to be gripped by wedging.

SHOZABURO AKI. 

